Take a Bow, H.C. - By Gail Collins

By GAIL COLLINS

Friday is Hillary Clinton’s final day at the State Department. As we’ve all been reminded, over the past four years she’s traveled 956,733 miles to 112 different countries in order to conduct 1,700 meetings with world leaders. While consuming 570 airplane meals.

It’s exactly what you would have expected her to do. This is the woman who ended her career as a U.S. senator by announcing: “I’ve had a lot of fun. Eight state fairs, 45 parades, 62 counties, more than 4,600 events across the state.”

And then, of course, there was the race for president, in which she campaigned through 54 primaries and caucuses. After she lost, she urged her followers to take a break and “go to the beach.” But she went out and campaigned for Barack Obama. And then to the cabinet and the 112 countries.

So it’s understandable that people are questioning how long the resting part of her future will last. There is already a Hillary-in-2016 PAC. Although Clinton has nothing to do with it, she could certainly stop it, as she could end all the presidential speculation by simply saying that she would not, under any circumstances, accept a nomination. She hasn’t.

But we really ought to get through the first year of President Obama’s second term before we declare him a lame duck and start discussing a replacement.